Apparatus capable of performing setting for a plurality of setting items

Abstract

When an automatic clearing function for resetting is executed in the case of no operation for a certain period of time, without occurrence of automatic clearing complicatedly and by executing automatic clearing appropriately, it is enabled to satisfy both improvement of usability by a user and convenience by automatic clearing. A control portion, when setting for a plurality of setting items is performed in accordance with operation input to the operation portion, measures time during which operation input to performing setting is not performed for each of the plurality of setting items, and executes automatic clearing to reset setting based on the measured time. When performing resetting for a setting item for which automatic clearing is executed during setting by a user, the time until executing automatic clearing is then extended.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus capable of performing setting for a plurality of setting items for operating the apparatus, comprising:
 an operation portion for receiving operation input by a user, and 
 a control portion for performing the setting for the plurality of setting items in accordance with operation input to the operation portion, wherein 
 the control portion, when the setting for the plurality of setting items is performed in accordance with operation input to the operation portion, measures time during which operation input to performing setting is not performed for each of the plurality of setting items, and executes automatic clearing to reset setting based on the measured time, and 
 when again performing setting for a setting item for which the automatic clearing was previously performed during setting by the user, extends a time until executing automatic clearing. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus capable of performing the setting for the plurality of setting items as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the control portion, when the plurality of setting items are set sequentially in accordance with operation input by the user, 
 compares setting for other setting item set prior to the setting item for which the automatic clearing is executed and 
 setting for the other setting item set prior to a setting item to be set again, when setting the setting item for which the automatic clearing is executed again, and 
 when a result of the comparison coincides with each other, extends the time until executing the automatic clearing for the setting item to be set again. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus capable of performing the setting for the plurality of setting items as defined in  claim 2 , wherein
 the control portion, when setting the setting item for which the automatic clearing is executed again, extends the time until executing the automatic clearing, also for a setting item to be set after the setting item to be set. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus capable of performing the setting for the plurality of setting items as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the control portion changes the time until executing the automatic clearing according to the number of times of execution of the automatic clearing for the same setting item. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus capable of performing the setting for the plurality of setting items as defined in  claim 4 , wherein
 the control portion makes the automatic clearing invalid according to the number of times of execution of the automatic clearing for the same setting item.